Or we could stop coddling our youth and realize that at 18 if they don't have half a brain to handle their booze, then the world is probably better without them.

Also another idea for saving lives, raise the driving age to 21, that way they have three years of drinking practice before they can get behind the wheel; unlike now where kids driving for three years think they've mastered it and that the alcohol won't effect their ability to do so.

tjsands1118:You know what would save more lives? Banning alcohol all together.

Or we could stop coddling our youth and realize that at 18 if they don't have half a brain to handle their booze, then the world is probably better without them.

Also another idea for saving lives, raise the driving age to 21, that way they have three years of drinking practice before they can get behind the wheel; unlike now where kids driving for three years think they've mastered it and that the alcohol won't effect their ability to do so.

I'm born and raised in Alberta and I started drinking at 18, when I was legally allowed. Amazingly I only ever drank twice before my 18th birthday and even then only a drink or two. Even by 20 I was of the opinion that the drinking age should be 21, as well as voting, driving AND joining the military, which I did at age 21. I realized how incredible stupid I was at ages 18 through 20 with alcohol. I can only imagine what people who think they are A-Ok get up to.

Now I drink Fark recommended whiskeys like Makers Mark and Knob Creek in reasonable amounts and enjoy it for the complexity of the flavor, but I digress.

People are pretty inexperienced before 21, even if some who are ahead of the curve would argue eloquently against my position, and most older people would agree.

How VODAK in Russia/Ukraine has anything do with...anything.........is beyond me.

Stupidity FTA: "One is the geopolitical drama that is playing out in Russia and Ukraine, both which rank in the top five worldwide for consumption of alcohol, according to the World Health Organization"

Maybe a tiered system would work. Just like they have tiered driver's licenses now, have a tiered drinking age. At 18 you can drink legally in the company of adult family members, at 19-20 you can legally buy beer and drink without adult supervision, but no hard liquor and a lowered level for DUI consideration, and at 21 the training wheels come off all the way.

I'm thinking about that more as a remedy for the US than for Canada, that would suck for Canada because they can already do whatever at 18/19.

TuteTibiImperes:Maybe a tiered system would work. Just like they have tiered driver's licenses now, have a tiered drinking age. At 18 you can drink legally in the company of adult family members, at 19-20 you can legally buy beer and drink without adult supervision, but no hard liquor and a lowered level for DUI consideration, and at 21 the training wheels come off all the way.

I'm thinking about that more as a remedy for the US than for Canada, that would suck for Canada because they can already do whatever at 18/19.

twiztedjustin:Man, what is it with governments being prejudice against guys? First Arizona tried to make it where they can't eat in restaurants and now Canada wants them to not be able to drink alcohol.

I'm not sure what was worse in tfa: that he cited a letter "signed" by Sam N Adams, or that he said the Amethyst Compact was signed by mostly small schools but "included a few heavy hitters, like Duke."

grumpfuff:twiztedjustin: Man, what is it with governments being prejudice against guys? First Arizona tried to make it where they can't eat in restaurants and now Canada wants them to not be able to drink alcohol.

1. Canada is not considering any of this. Drinking age is a strictly provincial responsibility and the three provinces that have an MLDA of 18 are not considering changing it.

2.This gem: The researchers, led by psychologist Russell Callaghan, even made a calculation of the likely effect of changing the drinking age, suggesting that "raising the drinking age to 19 years of age in Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec would prevent seven deaths of 18-year-old men each year." If a uniform age of 21 prevailed across the country, "this would prevent 32 annual deaths of male youth 18 to 20 years of age."

All it means is that in the first scenario the same 7 deaths would occur at 19 instead of 18 and in the second scenario the same 32 deaths would happen to 21 year-olds.

brimed03:grumpfuff: twiztedjustin: Man, what is it with governments being prejudice against guys? First Arizona tried to make it where they can't eat in restaurants and now Canada wants them to not be able to drink alcohol.

Leave guys alone!

Hey look, someone else who DNRTFA.

That whistling is the sound of his joke flying waaayy over your head.

Yea, I see that now.

The sad part is I was gonna quote one of the others, but picked his because it was the most recent comment. Oh well, maybe that's my signal to go to bed.

So... the same Farkers who make fun of beliefs not based on Science and Reason are here making fun of a proposal that at least attempts to be based on Science and Reason... using their own personal beliefs.

The researchers, led by psychologist Russell Callaghan, even made a calculation of the likely effect of changing the drinking age, suggesting that "raising the drinking age to 19 years of age in Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec would prevent seven deaths of 18-year-old men each year." If a uniform age of 21 prevailed across the country, "this would prevent 32 annual deaths of male youth 18 to 20 years of age."

32 deaths per year for alcohol-related deaths? Not even statistically relevant.

grumpfuff:brimed03: grumpfuff: twiztedjustin: Man, what is it with governments being prejudice against guys? First Arizona tried to make it where they can't eat in restaurants and now Canada wants them to not be able to drink alcohol.

Leave guys alone!

Hey look, someone else who DNRTFA.

That whistling is the sound of his joke flying waaayy over your head.

Yea, I see that now.

The sad part is I was gonna quote one of the others, but picked his because it was the most recent comment. Oh well, maybe that's my signal to go to bed.

gelovani:The researchers, led by psychologist Russell Callaghan, even made a calculation of the likely effect of changing the drinking age, suggesting that "raising the drinking age to 19 years of age in Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec would prevent seven deaths of 18-year-old men each year." If a uniform age of 21 prevailed across the country, "this would prevent 32 annual deaths of male youth 18 to 20 years of age."

32 deaths per year for alcohol-related deaths? Not even statistically relevant.

Notice that he's not even saying it would prevent 32 deaths per year. He's saying it would prevent 32 deaths of 18 to 20 year old males. In other words, we would have the same number of deaths, but the people dying would be slightly older.

Here's the science behind the 21 drinking age. The late adolescent brain is still in development and, at this phase, is still weak in judgment and making decisions based on reason rather than emotion. It's not just a matter of inexperience, it's a matter of brain chemistry and physiology. Some of the high-level functions are still forming. To make an admittedly bad analogy, those of you arguing for a lower age limit are arguing for giving the car keys to the mentally challenged kid.

That analogy is bad on so many levels it ought to be shot, and the guy who made it probably should be too. But it has one virtue: it makes clearer, to some of you, what I mean when I say the ability just isn't there yet.

You don't give a hot iron to a baby and expect a good outcome. The average 18 year old handles alcohol about the same way the baby handles the hot iron. And in both cases, the person responsible is the one who gave it to them-- whether by hand or by law-- in the first place.

Ral:Raising the legal drinking age does not stop people from drinking. Nor does it save lives.

Let's put responsibility where it actually rests: on the shoulders of drinkers.

Disagree. The further from the drinking age the harder to get the booze. 21 probably does little to stop 18 y.o.s from drinking, but you can bet it hampered my ability to get alcohol at 16. Were the age 18 it would be a different story.

I am glad 16 year olds cannot go to bars. I am glad 16 year old me couldn't.